Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



J. STHATTON.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATiON FILED MAR. 7 1911.

1,25%,05Zi Patented Jan. -1, 1918;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 2 7- 40' I as I 3mm; (VX7668 Fina/7W2 uuupuuuuMUuuuuuuu-J I. STRATTON.

MAILBAG CATCHIN G AND DELIVERING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED MAE. 1, I91].

1,252,053; Patented Jan. 1,1918.

3 SHBETBSHEET 2.

T T j L U LA awn mum J. STRATTON.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HL ED MAR. 1. 19-11- I Patented Jan. 1,1918.

1,252y053" I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 anssn s'ma'rron, or nnxmeron, "KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BAG CEATGHING AND DELIVERING .iAPPARAT-US.

Specification of Letters'Patent. i PatentedfJan, 1 1918,

Application filed. March 7, 1917. Serial No; 153,102.

To all whom it"may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE 'SrRA'r'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, "have invented new and useful Improvements in .MjaileB'a'g' Catc ing and Delivering Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to an article catching and delivering apparatus, and more particu'l'arly to the class of mail bag catching and delivering apparatuses.

The primary Object of theinvention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein mail bags, parcel post packages, or other articles can "be conveniently exchanged between a moving train and a station with minimum shock and jar to the bags, packages, or other articles, andwithout necessitating any reduction in the speed of travel ofthe train or thestopping thereof.

Another object of the'invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein the parts thereof are novel in construction to assure the automatic operation of the same for the positive catching and delivering of mail matter, packages, or other articles.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein the car device is, controlled and actuated frorn a track instrument for the automatic working thereof, while the station device is controlled by the car device.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus 'of this character wh'ch is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in operation, strong, durable, positive in action, and inexpensive in manufacture and installation. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts'as will Joe e i af f l y de r bed, illustra ed n he a mpany ng drawi gsm d po nte 01111 e ims her unto amende In thedraw'ings'z p v 1 V I F g e i a a m r d v n-Q of 'a'car showing the mail bagcatching and delivering device in accordance withthe invention -1n operatlve pos1t1on;

Fig! 2 s vertlcal a sverse sect onalview through the car showing one of the car devices in operative relation tojthe :sta-

tion device, while the'oth'er Lear device is in inoperative position. I

Fig. 3 is fragmentary "horizontal sectional View with thedoor at'the side oft'he car open. v V

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view with'the :door closed.

Fig. '5 is a fragmentary plan view of the track instrument.

'Fig. '6. is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing in detail the "switch of saidrinstrument open,

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in thedrawings. I I I Referring to the drawings in detail,A designates a portion o'f'a mail car, which is of the ordinary well-*known construction, having in opposite sides thereof the usual doorways B adapted to .beopened andc'losed by the swinging doors'Qand at-each -doorway "is arranged the car mail bag catching and delivering device D, whileat the station is the station-mail bag-delivering deViceE, the devices being hereinafter fully described. V I

The station mail bag delivering device E comprises a vertical post '10, which is "10- cated at one side of the track over which the'carAtravels, and is suitably anchored in the groundto stand vertically. 'On theupper end'of the post 10 is an'extension 1 1 which is directed toward the track over whichthe car travels. "Swingingly connected to the extension '11 is a mailbag delivering arm I2, which has connection wigtfhf the extension '11 through the medium of the hinge 13 at the under side of both of the same, thearm 12' being fitted at its ,free end with a "hanger 14: on which issupported the mail bag '15'-- to be delivered to, the car."

Mounted on the upper side of the-extension 11 is one leaf f a strap-hinge,the-other ;leaf 17 ofwlric h'fis slidably' bolted at 1 8i!) the 'upperside of the arm 12, and-this leaf at its free end is formed with a resilient snap hook 19 which overlies the hanger 14 to fasten the bag 15 thereon. The pivot connecting the leaves 16 and 17 of the strap hinge is offset with respect to the break joint between the extension 11 and the arm 12 so that on the lowering of the latter the snap hook 19 of the leaf 17 will ride over the hanger 14 to automatically release the bag on the dropping of the said arm 12, whereby the bag will be automatically caught by the car device D hereinafter fully described.

The car mail bag catching and delivering device D comprises a rectangular shaped frame 21 mounted for vertical swinging v movement in bearings 22 fixed on the outer face of the side wall of the car at opposite sides of the doorway B therein, and this frame 21 has connected thereto an inwardly sloping flexible net 23 which is suitably secured to the side of the car A so that on the delivery of the mail bag 15 through the frame 21 into the net 23 it will gravitate interiorly of the car A through the doorway B' therein. Formed on the outer longer a stretch of the frame 21 near one end thereof is a trip arm 24 which is adapted to extend when the frame 21 is raised for the catching of a mail bag into the path of a rocking trip lever 25 pivoted upon a bearing 26 onthe post 10, the trip lever 25 when in normal position being designed to serve as a prop for the arm 12 of the station device E, and when tripped by the extension 24 on the frame 21 will free the said arm 12 so that it will drop and thereby automatically discharge the mail bag 15 into the frame 21, whence it will gravitate upon the net 23 to the interior of the car.

At one side of the doorway B in the side of the car A, near the floor of the said car, and suitably pivotally supported, is an actuating arm 27, the outer free end of which is fitted with a friction roller 28 adapted to contact with and travel over a track instrument comprising a rail 30 which extends a considerable distance longitudinally of the track over which the car A travels, and at one side thereof, the said rail throughout its length being straight and supported elevated from the track bed, while at opposite ends thereof are pivoted reversely inclined switch rails 31, the lower- 'most ends of which rest upon the ground so that the lever 27 will be raised by either of the switch rails 31 on to the rail 30 for the lifting of the said lever which, at its inner end, has pivoted thereto a connecting rod 32, the same being also pivoted to an arm 33 formed on the inner longer stretch of the frame 21 so as to automatically lift' the same to operative position when the said lever 27 has been raised. The switch points 31 can be thrown close to or away from the track over which the car A travels, and when close to the said track the lever 27, at its end carrying the roller 28, will engage therewith for the lifting of said lever to automatically raise the frame 21 to operative position. is thrown away from the track the end of the lever 27 carrying the roller 28 will clear the said switch rail so that the frame 21 will not become automatically raised to operative position, and thus be sustained in lowered inoperative position when it is desired not'to catch a mail bag from the station device E during the passage of the car A by a station.

Formed in thebottom of the car A is a their ends at 38 to opposite sides of the When the switch 31 chute 35, and these levers 3,7 are also con nected to an extension slide 39 mounted in a guide 40 at the under side of the chute 35, the said slide 39 being extended on the opening of the gate 36 so as to direct the mail bags or other articles deposited in the chute at one side of the track a distance beyond the same. Connected to one of the levers 37 at its point of connection with the gate 36 is a chain 40, the same being also connected with the free end of a lever 41 pivoted in a bearing 42 at its opposite end, the said bearing being fixed tothe bottom of the car A, and this lever 41 moves in a guide bracket 43 fixed to the side of the car to guide the same in its vertical movement.

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Connected to the lever 41 is a chain 44 which is also connected to the lever 27 so that on the lifting of the latter the gate 36 will be automatically opened and the slide 39 exiie tended so that mail bags or other articles within the chute 35 can be discharged therefrom for the delivery of the'mail bags or other articles at the station. The chain 40 is extended as at 45 through a suitable opening 46 in the side of the car to the interior thereof so that on manually pulling upon the chain 45 when the gate 36 is closed the latter can be manually opened without the lifting of the frame 21 of the car mail bag catching device when it is desired to only deliver mail bags to the station and not between the station and the cer ix-respective of the travel of the latter. Arranged at the interior of the car at eaeh'sidethereof is a bresfik jointed link 46",the m'embers of which have ball and "socket connection 47 with the side wall of the car A and the door C, respectively, and to the brealr'joint of this link 46 is connected an operating lever 49 which is loosely connected at 50 to an arm 51 on "the inner longer stretch of the frame 7 21 so that on the automatic raising of the latter the car door 0 will be automatically opened by the breaking of the link 46, and on the lowering of the frame 21 the said door C will be automatically closed.

It is of course apparent that when the operating lever 27 rides off of the rail 30 the same will gravitate to lowered position, thereby swinging the frame 21 to inoperative position, and simultaneously therewith the gate 36 will close and the slide 39 will be retracted, yet the said gate 36 can be manually opened for the delivery of mail bags or other articles from the car at the points desired during the travel therof without necessitating the setting of the frame 21 for the receiving of mail bags from a station.

On the inner longer stretch of the frame 21 at a point approximately opposite the center of the doorway C is located an arm extension 53 for the hand operation of the said frame 21 for manually raising the same independently of the automatic operation when it is desired to receive mail at a station where there is no delivery to be made. The lever 33 is suitably slotted at the point of pivotal connection of the rod 32 therewith so as to enable the hand operation of the frame 21, whereby it may be raised and lowered without the disturbance of the connecting rod 32 nor the raising of the lever 27. It will be apparent that this device can be operated either by hand or automatically without the interference of one operation with the other.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood, and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted.

WVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a car having a doorway, and a door closing the same, of an apparatus of the class described comprising a frame hinged exteriorly of the car and having a net, a track instrument having movable switch points, means for advancing them toward the track at will, means engaged by the advanced point and the body of the track instrument to automatically move the frame to operative position, a delivery chute leading from the interior of the car laterally therefrom to one side of the same, a gate for closing the chute connecta' hinged frame, a net "connected" with the frame, a track instrument having movable switch points, means for advancing them toward the track at will, means connected with the frame and engaged by the advanced point and the body of the track instrument to automatically swing the frame to operative position, a delivery chute leading from the interior of the car, a gate for the chute, means'connected with the first-named means for the automatic opening of the said gate on movement of the frame to operative position, an extension slide at the bottom of the chute, means for operating the slide by the movement of the gate, and means cooperative with the track instrument to render it inoperative or operative relative to the first-named means.

3. The combination with a car having a doorway, and a door closing the same, of an apparatus of the class described comprising a frame pivoted for swinging movement exteriorly of the car, a net connected with the frame and sides, respectively, of the car for communication with the doorway, a track instrument adapted to be located on one side of a track over which the car travels, means connected with the frame and engaged by the track instrument to automatically move the frame to operative position, means connected with the frame and the door, respectively, for automatically moving the said door on movement of the frame to operative position, a delivery chute leading from the interior of the car laterally therefrom to one side of the same, a gate for closing the chute connected with the first-named means for the automatic opening of said gate on movement of the frame to operative position, and an extension slide at the bottom of the chute and operated by movement of the gate.

4:. The combination with a car having a doorway, and a dOOr closing the same, of an apparatus of the class described comprising a frame pivoted for swinging movement exteriorly of the car, a net connected with the frame and sides, respectively, of the car for communication with the doorway, a track instrument adapted to be located at one side of a track over which the car travels, means connected with the frame and engaged by the track instrument to automatically move the frame to operative position, means connected with the frame and the door, respectively, for automatically moving the said door on movement of the frame to operative position, a delivery chute leading from the interior of the car laterally therefrom to one side of the same, a gate for closing the chute 1 connected with the first-named means for the automatic opening of the said gate on movement of the frame to operative posi- Uopies of this patent may be obtained for-five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

tion, an extension slide at the bottom of the chute and operated by movement of the gate, and means cooperative with the track 10 Washington, D. C. 

